EPSRC have finally made it into Private Eye, into Pseuds Corner to be precise; the current edition quotes part of their definition of a sandpit. (The entire definition is several pages long. Thus, sample activities for the first stage, called “Interact, Create mission statement”, of the process might be “Site visits to further explore the issues. Vision setting through creative ‘cartoon strip’ workshop, followed by a night learning how to play a musical instrument … and some friendly team competition.”)

The picture above is not friendly team competition over dinner at a sandpit, but shows the kings of Hungary, Bohemia and Poland meeting in the castle of Visegrád in 1335 to hammer out an agreement. Did the agreement include relaxing the Hungarian quota on imports of Czech beer?